Max's Chardonnay is a superb expression of cool climate Chardonnay. Crisp and complex: green apple, citrus and stone fruit flavours with creamy, crème brulee-like French oak and toast on the finish.
*Please note there is a 5 case limit per order for this product.
Varietal | Chardonnay |
---|---|
Vintage | 2024 |
Country | Australia |
Region | Multi Region |
Volume | 750 mL |
Closure | Screw Cap |
Alc/Vol | 13% |
Peak Drinking | Now - 2029 |
Winemaker | The Penfolds Team |
All varietal boxes ticked off. First apparent, scents of fresh cream, salted cashew nuts, white peach and nectarine. Further inspection reveals a suggestion of freshly baked baguette, pistachio-nougat, and white citrus blossom. Oak lurking, alluring but unobtrusive.
The palate is complete and complex, quite textural due to regular yeast lees battonage. Flavours of nougat, white stone fruits are to the fore, with background hints of white grapefruit citrus. The acidity is refined, with a tight mineral edge balancing a lovely phenolic grip. Luxuriously long and impressively composed.
The Adelaide Hills is one of Australia’s younger wine regions, but it’s as savvy as its famous Sauv Blanc. With a cool climate and high altitude, its dynamic winemakers are also responsible for top notch Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The 2024 Adelaide Hills growing season was helped by plentiful winter rainfall. Spring was relatively dry and mild providing optimal conditions for budburst. A series of cold, wet and windy fronts arrived just as the vines were flowering, frustrating growers and causing significant crop loss. From there on, summer was mild with no heatwaves of any significance. The crop ripened slowly, helped along by some short bursts of late summer heat, and was harvested in Autumn. The quality of the harvest was outstanding, despite the small yield.
Key to the success of Penfolds has been a lineage of visionary winemakers. There have only ever been four Chief Winemakers at the helm of Penfolds – Max Schubert, Don Ditter, John Duval and Peter Gago, each a custodian of a rich winemaking tradition that goes back for more than 170 years.
Our current Penfolds winemaking team has more than 100 years between them as Penfolds winemakers. They are constantly refining and improving their work, whilst honouring the winemaking techniques of their predecessors.